Bitcoin funding rate flips negative after $48K retest — Was it a bear trap?

Cointelegraph

Published Apr 23, 2021 06:45PM ET

Updated Apr 24, 2021 07:00AM ET

As Bitcoin (BTC) lost the $52,000 support on April 22, the futures contracts funding rate entered negative terrain. This uncommon situation causes the shorts, investors betting on price downside, to pay fees every eight hours.

While the rate itself is mildly damaging, this situation creates incentives for arbitrage desks and market makers to buy perpetual contracts (inverse swaps) while simultaneously selling the future monthly contracts. The cheaper it is for long-term leverage, the higher the incentives for bulls to open positions, creating a perfect "bear trap."

BTC-margined perpetual futures 8-hour funding rate. Source: Bybt
Bitcoin 1-month OKEx futures annualized premium (basis). Source: Skew
Bitcoin call option contracts for June 25. Source: Deribit

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